News

NIH Calls for Comments on 8th Edition of Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

Date: November 15, 2011

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that it plans to adopt the 8th Edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and NIH’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) has developed Position Statements in response to public concerns. The Position Statements clarify the ways in which NIH expects assured institutions to implement the 8th Edition of the Guide by addressing the following concerns:

Cost of implementing the 8th Edition of the Guide

Animal housing specifications

Use of nonpharmaceutical-grade compounds

Food and fluid restrictions; multiple surgical procedures

Application of the 8th Edition of the Guide to agricultural animals used in biomedical research

The Notice states that the public is invited to submit comments on their understanding of the Position Statements until January 29, 2012. To view more information on the Guide and submit comments, please visit the OLAW website.